Asian Development Bank

The University enjoys very collegial relationship with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and this is exemplified through the history of collaboration as natural partners for the development of the Pacific Islands through investments infrastructure and technical assistance grants for collaborative initiatives and research in areas such as climate change, renewable energy and economic modeling.

USPâs partnership with ADB started in 2009 when the Government of India provided the University a grant of USD 1 million through ADB for Regional Technical Assistance (RETA) on âThe Creation of the Pacific Information Superhighway with The University of the South Pacific Networkâ. This project helped expand USPâs Information and Communication Technology (ICT) network across its regional campuses through the installation of the i-Direct system. The Technical Assistance resulted in the development of a soft loan proposal to improve access to tertiary education in the Pacific through the development of new campuses in Kiribati and Solomon Islands and improved connectivity of regional campuses. A soft loan of USD 19m from ADBâs Multi-Tranche Financing Facility (MFF) for the Higher Education in the Pacific Investment Programme was approved in mid-2012 to support USP in enhancing access to higher education in its 12 member Pacific Island Countries by improving physical environment and learning programmes.

Tranche 1

Tranche 1 of the project financed the construction of a new 3-storey building (ground floor is open space as additional study area) for new USP Kiribati Campus. The USD 4.975m new Kiribati Campus was officially opened on 3 November 2015. This is a 1,764 square metre building (with an additional 882 square metres open space ground floor) commenced in late 2014, and was funded through an ADB soft loan.

The three storey building comprises four teaching rooms, lecture theatre, library, book shop, video-conference room, computer lab, science lab, an Atoll Research Centre, College of Foundation Studies and Student Academic Services offices, Flexible Learning room and staff offices in the top two floors. The ground floor can be used as an additional study space by students.

Tranche 2

An allocation of USD 15.4 million has been earmarked for the Tranche 2 through ADB soft loan which is for the construction of the new USP Solomon Islands campus. The construction of this new campus is envisaged to include modern teaching facilities, classrooms, an ICT studio, library, science laboratories, student cafeteria, medical center, dormitories, faculty offices, recreational areas and administrative facilities. At the end of July 2015, Solomon Islands Government (SIG) approved the leasing of a 14 acre block of land west of and adjacent to the KGVI School, some 7 kilometers east of Honiara (3 kilometers west of Honiara International Airport). The design of the Campus has been finalised by a USP-recruited architectural consultancy firm. Other related project preparatory works are currently underway and it is envisaged that the project will be completed by end of 2019.

The University and ADB signed a Cooperation Agreement to Strengthen Knowledge Collaboration in July 2017 that focusses in five key areas of interventions are: (i) the development of the new Solomon Islands Campus; (ii) renewable energy initiatives for the greening of USPâs campuses, including Vanuatu, Samoa, RMI, Kiribati, Tonga and Fiji; and (iii) strengthening knowledge collaboration primarily focussing on ADBâs potential contribution towards the University; (iv) the joint organisation of the Pacific Update Conference; (v) and strengthening research collaboration and intervention on economic policy issues through efficient support towards and effective operationalisation of USPâs Centre for Economic Modelling and Policy (CEPM).

The renewable energy component primarily focusses on embedding several solar PV power facilities in in each selected USP campuses as part of the Universityâs green Campus initiative.

The University has set a goal to become 100% renewable fully self-reliant for its electricity needs by 2020 for all 14 campuses. As a first step, the USP plans to integrate renewables in six (6) including Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, RMI, Kiribati and Tonga out of the fourteen (14) campuses.